Last week I reviewed the Armored Batman figure from Funko’s new line of The Dark Knight Returns Pop! Vinyls. I recently received in the mail another installment in this line, the Joker. Comic fans familiar with Frank Miller’s 1986 graphic novel will know that he has a very signature way of drawing the Joker, one that no other artist has ever been able to replicate.
When I preordered this figure back in September, I was thinking that it would be simply a typical Pop with the costume and coloring of Frank Miller’s iteration of the Joker. However, when it arrived yesterday, I was surprised and excited to see that Funko actually created an extremely unique and detailed new mold to capture Miller’s art. The cheekbones, broad shoulders, and elegant stance are features that define this version of the Joker. Holding the figure side by side with a snapshot of Miller’s art, you can see what an incredible joke Funko artists did in designing this item to resemble the original artwork.
Some people who purchased this figure might be annoyed that the red coloring of the lips is slightly smudged, but I actually thought this tiny error made the figure even better. In one of the most iconic panels from Miller’s graphic novel, the Joker applies slightly smudged lipstick for his appearance on a talk show, and this accidental feature of the figure mimics it perfectly.
I stared at this figure for a long time trying to come up with some constructive criticism, but in the end it truly deserves a 10/10 rating. Readers who have read any of my past reviews might remember that I can get somewhat nitpicky, but Funko really blew me away this time, managing to capture every detail perfectly. There are a large number of characters that Funko has given a huge number of Pops to, such as Batman and Deadpool, but I truly think the Joker is the best of the bunch. With the grenade-damaged Joker, Funko showed lots of creativity, with the Arkham Knight Joker they showed extraordinary attention to detail, and with this one they demonstrated a deep respect from the source material their products are based on.
I know I’ve been promising a review of the Doctor Strange Pop for a couple of weeks, but I wanted to wait until I’ve seen the movie and that won’t be until Thanksgiving weekend, so while I know it’s difficult to wait long times for my beautiful and Pulitzer-worthy reviews, it should be coming soon. Until then, happy Thanksgiving!
Matt Norris